Wednesday

Three Danvers establishments are facing liquor license suspensions after serving or selling alcohol to an underage patron during the town's most recent alcohol compliance checks.

After hearing from Danvers Chief of Police Patrick Ambrose and considering statements made by managers of the establishments, the Board of Selectmen voted on Tuesday in favor of a three-day liquor license suspension at Kelly’s Roast Beef, Olive Garden and Kappy’s Fine Wine & Spirits.

The suspensions, however, will be held in abeyance for one year, meaning they will not be served unless the establishment commits another violation in the next 12 months.

Notice that the police were going to conduct the checks was sent out in October, letting businesses know checks would be carried out sometime in November, according Ambrose. The checks — which are conducted biannually — were completed on Nov. 14 by four officers and two under-21 operatives.

In the case of Kelly's and Olive Garden, the under-21-year-old ordered and was served a Bud Light; at Kappy's, the minor was able to purchase a six-pack of Bud Light.

Ambrose said managers at all three establishments were cooperative when police informed them that employees had served alcohol to an underage patron before asking for identification.

Selectmen Dan Bennett said he was "disappointed" to have three establishments appear before him on Tuesday for liquor license violations.

"We're disappointed when we have one, but three in one time is very disappointing to myself as a board member. It's hard to fathom," he said. "I don't know what message we're not getting out to people if we get three violations at one time."

Managers from the three businesses appeared before selectmen for a public hearing on their licenses.

Kelly's Manager Shannon O'Donnell told selectmen she had "nothing but apologies" for the violation that occurred in November.

"It's embarrassing," O'Donnell said. "It's embarrassing for me because my name is on [the store], it's embarrassing for our store [and] it's embarrassing to be here."

The employee who police say served the underage individual stopped showing up for work, she added.

O'Donnell said the establishment has daily and monthly meetings set up in which proper alcohol safety is reminded, and emphasized, to its employees. Since the violation, more employees have been certified to serve alcohol.

"I don't take it lightly at all," she said.

Josh Bradley, a manager at Olive Garden, also expressed his apologies to the board.

"I'm just sorry it came to this point that we're in front of you," he said. "We're taking it seriously and we're not expecting to be up here again."

An attorney for the parent company also spoke on behalf of the establishment, indicating actions it has since taken to prevent a future violation, including re-certifying employees, enhancing it's ID verification technology and providing TIPS training for its 48 employees.

The employee was terminated as a result of the violation, he added.

The Nov. 14 violation was the second at this Olive Garden; however, given that the first occurred more than two years ago, the board agreed to view the violation as a "first offense."

The biggest surprise of the night, selectmen said, was the violation at Kappy's liquor store.

Selectmen Gardner Trask said a package store, unlike a restaurant or fast food chain, should have higher standards, as its only product is alcohol.

"For a liquor store to be hit twice in 10 years, that's a lot," said Selectman Diane Langlais, referencing a violation during a check conducted several years ago by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.

Owner Bob Selby said Kappy's employee handbook requires anyone who looks younger than 40 be carded before the purchase of alcohol. He said it's a policy his business takes seriously.

He also said the employee who served the underage customer no longer works for the store.

"We'll have to do an even better job than we have in the past," he said.